


Insanity

by riversritual



Category: Tom and Jerry (MGM/Hanna-Barbera)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 17,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26391907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riversritual/pseuds/riversritual
Summary: The lives of the real cat and mouse duo, outside of their famous cartoon, along with all their friends*takes place in 2006*
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in 2006, I don’t own Tom & Jerry, I just love the cartoons and movies

Just about everyone in the entire world knew of the famous cartoon ‘Tom and Jerry’ and anyone who didn’t was seriously missing out.

The endless adventures of a house cat who couldn’t catch a mouse was a huge, unexpected success when it started in the 1900s, and while it was true that roughly everyone knew of the cartoon characters ‘Tom and Jerry’ most didn’t know of the REAL Tom and Jerry.

As in; the cat and mouse duo who came in every day to the Warner Bros. Studio to get yelled at by a cranky director that they’re late even when it’s the opposite and act out their scenes for movies, as that’s all they really do these days anyway.

But this isn’t the best place to start, it’s better to start off with what an ideal morning is like at the mansion where Tom and Jerry live.

Also yes, of course they live in a mansion: they are millionaires what with being part of a very famous and well known cartoon.

But anyway, an ideal morning.

........

Tom and Jerry aren’t the only ones living in this big house; there’s also Butch, the black cat who sometimes but not often appears in the cat and mouse cartoons.

And for whatever reason the author of this story is having Butch be Tom’s brother. Not many people are aware of this fact but whatever.

The other two anthropomorphic animals living under the same roof as these three would be Spike and his son Tyke. And unfortunately for everyone else who had to live in that house, Tyke was....more hyper in reality.

In fact, the one (1) thing Tom and Butch could definitely agree on was that Tyke could always be that little bit extra, taking things way too far. But no one has the power or ability to stop him whatsoever.

So an ideal morning is when Tyke decides to wake somebody up with loud screams, and unfortunately that somebody in this particular morning was Tom.

The energetic pup kicked the bedroom door open with an extremely loud yell.

“UNCLE TOOOOOOOOMMMM!”

This instantly woke up Tom, and also Jerry because the mouse refused to sleep in an actual bedroom and instead chose the walls as their mansion had a heck of a lot of mouse holes.

So yes, that was now three of the residents awake.

“Leave me alone,” Tom muttered into his pillow, not really a morning person (or a Tyke person for that matter).

“I WANT A SANDWICH!” the pup screamed.

The sound of someone hitting their head against the wall was heard from inside the wall.

Tom did not respond, and Tyke realised he’d have to do something much more drastic.

Jerry was seen being carried out of his mouse hole and downstairs by his tiny dog, Shredder. 

Shredder had featured in only two episodes of ‘Tom and Jerry’ (The Cat’s Me Ouch and Purr Chance to Dream) and once both were done the director was going to send the poor pooch to the pound.

And that’s how Butch ended up doing something good for once in his sad, dark, gothic life. He took Shredder from the director and told Jerry he now had a pet.  
The director knew if he valued his life it would be best not to argue. And thankfully he didn’t.

That’s how the mouse got a pet, who turned out to be just as vicious as he acted out.

But Jerry said he’d send Shredder to attack anyone who dared to talk about getting rid of him, and not even Butch dared to do anything.

Now, back to Tyke throwing a bucket of water over Tom in an attempt to get him up.

The grey cat screamed at the feeling of water on his skin and fur.

He accepted there was no way he’d be able to get back to sleep, and started to head downstairs to get the little brat some breakfast.


	2. Chapter 2

Continuing on with the Daily Morning....

Downstairs in the kitchen, Spike was fixing up pancakes when Tom and Tyke came traipsing in.

“Good morning, Tom,” the bigger bulldog said brightly.

The cat gave a small grunt in reply. While he wasn’t an ideal morning person at least it was better than how Butch answers the phrase “good morning”.

Tyke managed to slow down that never ending hyper-ness for a few minutes so Tom could make the stupid pup the stupid sandwich he couldn’t have waited another five minutes or so for.

“Here. And thanks for nothing, brat,” Tom muttered darkly under his breath as Tyke happily took the sandwich through to the living room.

Spike rolled his eyes. It could be worse, he thought to himself.

The grey cat sighed and sat down at the table, his head instantly landing down on the wooden surface.

Butch was the last to wake up, and he walked incredibly slowly down the stairs with a deep scowl on his face.

“I hate mornings,” he grumbled when he finally reached the kitchen.

“You always hate mornings,” Tom muttered, not raising his head.

“Shut up. I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

The grey cat scoffed. “It was a statement and not an opinion, dear sibling.”

If the author had been in a better mood then they would have allowed Butch to stick his middle finger in Tom’s face.

But nope, the black cat had to settle with an eye roll and fifty five muttered curse words.

After that, Butch got his daily cup of coffee organised and took a huge gulp of it.

Not even two seconds later he spat it out, right onto the pancakes Spike was making.

“Do you mind? You just ruined the pancakes,” the bulldog said.

“What the heck is this? This isn’t my coffee!” the black cat exclaimed.  
“Of course it isn’t. I took the liberty of replacing your usual temporary caffeine jumpstart with something better; a health drink.”

Butch started to breath, heavily. “You replaced my beloved coffee.....with a blasted health drink!?”

Tom took that as the best time to escape to the living room if he wanted to live longer than the next five minutes.

Inside the living room Tyke had positioned himself in front of the TV with some kind of kids movie on that was not at all interesting to any of the residents older than 6 years old in the house.

On one end of the other couch that was positioned away from the TV, Shredder chewed on a bone and Jerry ate a piece of cheese.

Tom sat down on the other end of this couch. “So, I think we need to go grocery shopping soon.”

His mouse friend sighed. “Butch and Spike food fighting?”

“My brother hasn’t had his usual coffee this morning.”

“Oh, this won’t end well. Especially since we have to go to work today.”

“Ah yes, two seconds of being yelled at and Butch will have the director thrown out the window.”

Jerry grinned. “Wanna bet?”

Tom smirked and nodded. “I win, you have to babysit Tyke.”

The mouse deemed it fair, considering his offer. “If I win, Shredder gives you a free haircut.”

Ooh there was a lot at stake for Tom, but he oh so badly wanted to see their demanding boss get thrown from the studio window.

Even if it ran the risk of getting all his fur bitten off by his best friend’s dog.

“Deal,” Tom said. The two shook paws on it.


	3. Chapter 3

When Butch and Spike had ruined all the food stored in literally all the cupboards and the fridge, and finally Butch was a bit calmer than before it was time to go.

“Come on Tyke, we’re going,” Spike said to the pup.

“Okay!” The bratty little dog raced upstairs to grab his school bag, because for whatever reason the bag was never downstairs. After school every day Tyke would run upstairs and dump it in his room then come speeding back down the stairs, knocking over anyone unfortunate enough to be in his path.

No one wanted to argue about that because arguing with a pup who has a loud scream and possibly other unnatural abilities only a cartoon actor could have would result in serious consequences.

Anyway, the only two in the house who drove daily to the studio and wherever else were Tom and Butch. As you might expect both were complete disasters on the road when they wanted to be.

Butch’s idea of a ‘shortcut’ was also known as a near death experience.

Tom would only be able to drive if he managed to beat his brother to the driver’s seat or if the black cat (on extremely rare occasions) wasn’t around.

Someone else could drive, sure, but Jerry needed a pile of books to reach the wheel (don’t even ask about the pedals) and Spike was always terrified of crashing and drove so slowly.

On this particular day Butch got the job of driving, only because Tom wasn’t up for fighting seeing as they were already going to be late if they didn’t get a shift on.

Yes, the one thing they needed to make their day better was a yelling match from the director.

It was a long stretch of silence on the way to Tyke’s school, and instead of stopping the car for the pup to get out like literally anyone else would, Butch kept going.

“Um, Butch? You just drove past the school,” Spike pointed out.

“Uh huh, I’m aware.”

“Well aren’t you gonna stop?”

Butch smirked. “Who said anything about stopping?”

Tom and Jerry exchanged a look, that clearly said ‘this won’t end well’. A trail of chaos tends to follow them wherever they go so obviously moments like these were expected.

The black cat didn’t stop the car, just opened the window and threw Tyke out along with his bag. The pup landed on the sidewalk without a scratch.

“Did you just throw Tyke out the window, while you’re still driving?” Jerry asked.

“Yep. So?”

“Checking if that was a crazy dream.”

“You wish your life was a crazy dream,” Tom muttered under his breath.”

“Shut it, Tom!” Butch yelled from the driver’s seat.

“Eavesdropping, are we sibling? That wasn’t even directed at you.”

The black cat couldn’t think of any response other than “I despise you.”

“And I don’t care,” Tom replied.

Spike chose to get between the fighting at that point just in case Butch decided to leap from his seat behind the wheel.

“Guys, if we don’t get to the studio in twenty minutes we’re going to be late.”

“Looks like we’ll be taking a shortcut then,” Butch answered.

Everyone in the car instantly fell silent.

“You’re kidding, right?” Tom and Jerry said in unison, because of course they knew full well as much as Spike did what the black cat called a shortcut.

Butch smirked. “You might want to hold on tight.”


	4. Chapter 4

The day in the life of a security guard at the Warner Bros. Studio could be very interesting some days, when you’re not kicking out fans trying to break in.

It was probably the best time of day when the Tom and Jerry Crew made their big dramatic show up.

Usually involving a car travelling at full speed towards the building with clear sounds of screaming coming from inside.

And of course this day wasn’t any different, the guards guessed that Butch must be the one driving again.

Inside the car, Tom and Jerry screamed at the top of their lungs and clung to each other in absolute fear.

Spike was gripping the back of the passenger seat and screaming at Butch to “SLOW DOWN BEFORE YOU KILL US ALL!”

And all of this witnessed by the highly amused security guards, watching as the car came to a complete stop just feet away from the building.

“There, I’ve stopped and none of us are dead. Happy now?” Butch asked with a smirk.

The poor cat and mouse duo in the backseats had their fur gone white with fright and Jerry made a mental note to send Shredder over to the black cat late at night.

“You nearly killed us,” Tom said, slowly unstrapping his seatbelt and opening the door. His fur was gradually returning back to its grey color.

Butch shrugged. “I have done worse.”

Yeah, no one could really deny that claim.

But at least now the car wasn’t going at least a thousand miles an hour (total overestimate but who cares).

Everyone was unharmed and just shaken, actually looking forward to seeing the director since it meant not having to be in a car going up and through buildings, going super fast and going the complete wrong way on some roads with the driver screaming bloody murder.

But now Butch was sulking again, and for a different reason other than he really didn’t want to be in the rat infested studio.

Well it was partly that but also because the film scenes the crew were going to record would not feature him, again.

This new film (Tom and Jerry: Fast and The Furry for anyone curious) was much like the other big ‘Tom and Jerry’ movies that were created instead of cartoons nowadays, it didn’t have Butch in it.

The last movie he featured in was ‘Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring’ and that was a nightmare for two reasons.

One; it was only a brief appearance.

Two; before shooting, he got sick. And tried to cover his face with makeup to make it less obvious which made it look like he had plastic surgery.

Tom had the best day of his life when that film was released.

Butch was snapped out of his thoughts by the director’s yelling. They had made it to where the magic happens (aka the acting and filming).

“Where have you four been!? You’re late, I tell ya! Late late late late LATE!”

Jerry looked at his watch. “We’re five minutes early.”

“NOT EARLY ENOUGH! Next time I want your butts here on time or there will be consequences!”

Butch scoffed. “There’s never actually any consequences because you’re too lazy to actually follow through.”

“Don’t start with me, I am not in the mood. Now let’s get this started and HOPEFULLY get SOMETHING done today! Tom and Jerry, get into position! Butch and Spike, go sit down over there and don’t come over unless I say so!”

With huge sighs and groans, the crew did as they were told and Butch got ready to watch the director yell at his sibling (Tom was usually the one who didn’t do his job of acting right) and miss out on yet another movie.


	5. Chapter 5

If Butch’s driving didn’t kill Tom and make him turn into a gothic sadist like his brother, then the director yelling at him just about all the time would.

Ugh, why couldn’t Jerry get yelled at? But noooooo his acting was “nearly flawless” as the director put it.

But Tom got told he wasn’t being emotional enough, then yelled at for being “TOO emotional” whatever that meant.

“You think there’s any chance you can make up your mind?” the cat said.

The director was obviously not used to getting cheek from his actors. “Better watch your mouth there!”

“Or what, you’re gonna get rid of me?”

“Keep talking back and you WILL be fired!”

Tom scoffed. “You actually can’t. Because the people who still watch us have gotten too used to me. So if I’m replaced we might lose the last fans we have left, therefore you have failed your job and you’ll be the one who’s getting fired.”

The entire room was in silence for a few minutes, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

And the director was definitely seething.

“Just. Get. Back. To. Work.”

Tom smirked at his success. Sometimes having a crappy director like this one had its perks if you knew just how to push their buttons.

Jerry shook his head, but he still smiled because even he could admit it was highly amusing watching the director lose an argument.

So scenes were acted out, and everything was going great. Butch hadn’t tried to kill anyone (yet) and the director had finally stopped complaining about Tom’s bad acting.

And Butch did look like he wanted to throw a brick at someone when Spike was called over for his scene, but he just groaned very very loudly and muttered threats about bringing bombs next time he was called in.

Now, the day only seemed to get any worse when the director said these words.

“Great job, you three. Now we’ll be doing scenes with Mrs Two Shoes.”

Literally everyone (that included Butch) groaned in despair at the mere mention of the (terrible) actress who plays Tom’s owner with an unseen face.

It was never an exaggeration when someone said Mrs Two Shoes couldn’t act to save her life.

Every and any scene shot with her took hours to get right because she made more mistakes than Tom when it came to acting.

“Okay, positions! Let’s try to make sure that this time we get it done quickly!” the director ordered.

“That isn’t possible with this lady,” Tom muttered to his co star, who laughed silently.

The cat and mouse took their positions, standing in the middle of the house they had destroyed with their chasing.

Mrs Two Shoes opened the front door to find the house a mess.

“Thomas, what have you done?” she said without any hint of anger in her voice.

“CUT!” the director screamed. “Mrs Two Shoes, let’s try this again but this time try to sound more angry. You’re coming home to find your house absolutely destroyed! Let us SEE that absolute RAGE!”

Tom and Jerry glanced at each other as if to say ‘I don’t want to be here anymore because our boss may be on drugs’.

“Okay, got it,” Mrs Two Shoes said enthusiastically.

Butch could be heard muttering “I highly doubt that.”

The actress went back into her position and the scene was tried again.

This time she kicked the door in and smacked Tom right in the face.

“THOMAS!” Mrs Two Shoes screamed in a voice that wasn’t human. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?”

Even Butch was almost afraid of her. Almost. It would take much more to scare him but this certainly was a shock.

“CUT! That’s TOO much anger, Mrs Two Shoes! You’re surprised and THEN angry when you come into the house, okay?” the director exclaimed.

“Be more surprised, got it.”

Once again Butch muttered that he highly doubted that.

And once again the scene was done, this time the door was opened more calmly.

Mrs Two Shoes saw the mess of the house, and gasped.

Several minutes later she was still gasping and hadn’t stopped for air once.

“That’s it, I’m leaving,” Butch announced, getting up and walking away.

“CUT! Butch if you leave right now you’ll be fired!”

The black cat huffed. “Like that scares me!”

Tom and Jerry exchanged a glance, shrugged then decided screw it.  
And Spike just left because everyone else was.

The director sighed. This was definitely not his day.


	6. Chapter 6

As per usual, Butch was unhappy. This time it was because he had to go to a hospital appointment which he really, really didn’t want to go to.

“I hate hospitals,” he had said on the drive over, sitting in the backseat and sulking.

Tom was driving with Jerry next to him in the passenger seat. Spike had decided to stay at home with Tyke after helping to get the black cat out of the house with a torture session involving Shredder, bombs and chocolate.

Shredder was the reason Butch currently had no fur on his tail, but poor Tom had no fur on at all.

Yep, he had lost the bet to Jerry. Only his head came out with fur on and to cover his freezing body he opted for a large brown coat even if it was sunny outside.

The paparazzi would have a field day with this, and that thought alone made Butch a little bit better.

But still the thought of hospitals.....

“I hate you, so very very much,” he said to Jerry.

The mouse scoffed. “Not surprising.”

“Did you have to remind my brother that I have a hospital appointment?” Butch whined.

“You haven’t been in 20 years,” Tom pointed out.

“Bah, if I don’t want to go to the hospital I’m not going.”

“You could die before you blow up the world,” Jerry chipped in.

“......I can settle for blowing up the studio.”

The mouse sighed. “You are unbelievable, I don’t know why we let you live with us.”

“He’s family, but honestly that’s it,” Tom answered.

When the trio reached the hospital Butch nearly made a run for it but his sibling managed to lock the back doors.

“Distract me, so I don’t try to kill one of you,” he said.

“Just like our army days,” Tom muttered.

“Wait, were you two in the army?” Jerry asked, having heard that particular sentence.

The grey cat nodded as they got out of the car. 

“We lost a bet to some other relatives.”

“And bunked with the most annoying people I’ve ever met,” Butch said.

“Wasn’t as bad as having to run from people.”

“Do I even want to know what happened?” Jerry asked.

“Yes, because Butch started World War 3,” Tom replied.

“Rubbish, there was never a World War 3.”

“The government decided to keep things under wraps,” Butch explained. “I think mostly because an anthropomorphic cat started it.”

“So how did you start it?”

The black cat smirked. “Well it all started when I got bored one day and decided to do some research on random stuff.....”

One Freakishly Long Flashback Story Later.....

Butch approached the front desk at the hospital. “I’m here for my doctor’s appointment.”

The woman sitting behind the desk let out a sigh, as if she did not want to be at work at this particular moment. “We don’t help animals.”

“Lady, I’m an anthropomorph.”

“Good for you. Still can’t do anything.”

Butch, who didn’t even want to go to his appointment in the first place, went over to Tom and Jerry and shrugged.

“Oh well, let’s go home.”

The mouse scoffed. “Nice try. I have something that might work.”

With that, Jerry put a fake moustache on his face and asked Tom for a lift onto the desk.

As soon as the woman saw the mouse, she screamed. “Oh my gosh it’s Hitler!”

With some mild threatening Butch was able to get in for his appointment.

“I will kill you,” he said to Jerry.

“Drop it, Butch!” the mouse responded.

“You know it’s bad to threaten one of the landlords of the house you live in, whose dog did some damage to your tail,” Tom pointed out.

“Shut up, sibling.”

The grey cat laughed. “No threats for me, that means you know it’s true.”  
This claim was neither confirmed or denied.


	7. Chapter 7

Back at the house it was a mostly calm demeanour. Spike was enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasted, glad that no Butch was around to ruin the mood.

Shredder was sulking near the front door, desperate for his owner to return home.

Tyke was upstairs either eating or playing video games with his best friend Tuffy, Jerry’s nephew.

Either way, no one had come down to say something had caught fire.

Oh, how Spike had forgotten the times before ‘Tom and Jerry’. Before he had moved in to a madhouse.

There was always the option to move out but unfortunately Tyke was the obstacle, because he didn’t want to.

So that was that, they were staying in the house for the time being.

.............

“.....and after the French invaded Canada I had to step in with some hidden bombs I sneaked out of Germany,” Butch was saying as he, Tom and Jerry walked through the halls of the hospital.

“It worked for a while, gave us more time to ready the death ray. And then that failed and so we had to resort to using robots,” Tom added.

“Did the robots work?” Jerry asked.

The black cat paused to knock on the door of the room he was told to go to.

“I’ll be out in a moment,” a voice said from inside.

“Well, yes and no,” Butch replied to Jerry’s question.

“Yes because it caused a huge distraction so we could get away,” Tom explained.

“And no because it made things a thousand times worse,” the black cat added.

“We had to escape back home before we made any more mistakes and unfortunately someone ratted us out to the authorities.”

“That ‘someone’ was you, sibling.” Butch glared.

Tom glared right back. “Well I was told we’d get away with it if we complied and it worked, didn’t it!?”

The black cat was about to say something, opening his mouth and closing it again.

“Exactly. Everyone except us who participated had the event wiped from their minds because apparently the government has the ability and machinery to do that kind of thing.”

“So why didn’t your memories get erased?” Jerry said, getting between any arising arguments.

“We considered it but eventually decided against because we thought it would be a hilariously unbelievable story to tell one day,” Tom explained.

“So when did all of this happen?”

“Do you remember when me and Tom went on a vacation for a month?”

The mouse nodded.

“Well that’s when it happened.”

Jerry was silent for a moment. “Now I can see why it’s unbelievable.”

“I know, right?” Tom said.

The door to the room opened and to Butch’s absolute horror it was Droopy who walked out.

“Hello, everyone,” he said. 

“Oh no, I’m out of here. I may sit on the sidelines while you’re filming cartoons but I know full well what this dog has done so no way!”

Butch tried to run away only to be tripped by Jerry and tied up by Tom.

“Blast it! Let me go!”

“You know that whatever Droopy does in the studio is acting,” the mouse pointed out.

“He crashed through a building last week on a motorbike!”

“That building was in another country.”

“Also what does that have to do with anything?” Tom asked.

“It’s a reason why I shouldn’t trust him!” Butch protested.

“Okay, either you stop making a fuss and get this appointment over with, or I get Shredder to bite off more of your fur,” Jerry warned.

Butch eventually decided it would be worth the struggles of a doctor’s appointment with Droopy than to lose all his fur like his brother.


	8. Chapter 8

Droopy tied up Butch to the table so he wouldn’t be able to escape while the supposed doctor did the examination.

Tom and Jerry sat down on slightly uncomfortable chairs at the side.

“I hate this,” the black cat huffed.

“It’s one tiny checkup,” the mouse pointed out.

“Exactly, why do you have to be so stubborn?” the grey cat chipped in.

“I dislike you both with strong intensity!” Butch screamed as he struggled in the restraints.

“We don’t care,” Tom and Jerry replied in unison.

Droopy came over to the table with a large hammer. 

“No no no, what is that for!?” Butch was freaking out at the mere sight of it.

“To test your reflexes,” the dog replied.

“How can my reflexes be tested WHEN IM TIED UP!?”

And unfortunately for him, Droopy failed to provide an answer and instead hit him over the head with the hammer.

WHAM!

Tom and Jerry both flinched at the sound as Butch was knocked unconscious.

“Oh dear, it seems as if I’ve killed my patient. I guess this means I must perform CPR,” Droopy said.

So now the cat and mouse duo watched in horror as the dog literally gave mouth-to-mouth to Butch.

“I almost hope he doesn’t wake up,” Jerry muttered to his feline friend, who laughed in response and agreement.

Unfortunately for everyone in the room and in the entire building, Butch did wake up.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Butch’s scream echoed throughout the building and may have caused at least three heart attacks.

.........

Shredder leapt into Jerry’s arms the very second he entered the house.

Butch came stomping in complaining about Droopy, hospitals, WW3, his idiot brother, a million other things as he went to go get some tea.

When Spike gave Tom a questioning look he just said “don’t ask”.

The bulldog knew if he valued his life he wouldn’t ask Butch how his appointment went.

Jerry with Shredder at his heels retreated to one of the many mouse holes scattered about the house.

Butch fixed himself a cup of tea and sat down in his favourite chair, not insulting anyone for once.

Tom didn’t want to put his sibling in a bad mood so he just sat down on the couch that didn’t face the TV and played on his phone.

Spike retreated to the kitchen to make a sandwich and just decided to eat it in there.

So basically the entire house was thrown into a peaceful silence.  
Well, that is until Tyke came rushing down the stairs screaming “I WANT CHILLIDOGS!”


	9. Chapter 9

Tom was feeling excited for one specific reason; his other brothers were coming over for a visit!

Butch was feeling grumpy for one specific reason; his other brothers were coming over for a visit!

If there was one thing Tom loved, it was having other members of his family over.

If there was one thing Butch hated, it was having other members of his family over.

As you can see, Tom and Butch have mixed opinions about their family visiting.

Butch saw the whole thing as a waste of time and wondered why humans did it when all he wanted to do on his day off from being yelled at by the director was sit in the house all day and drink tea.

Tom saw it as a good chance to catch up with Meathead and Lightning (their other brothers), to find out what had happened since they last saw them as Meathead couldn’t hold down a job to save his life and Lightning would get into some pretty rough alley fights (most recently with Jerry’s unbeatable cousin).

Butch saw it as the second most pointless activity in the whole world, second only to showing up for ‘Tom and Jerry’ shoots when he wasn’t even in it.

But whether or not the two cats agreed on this little reunion, it was happening and nothing could be done about it.

Spike and Tyke were out on a picnic, and even if Jerry and Shredder were still home they wouldn’t be a bother. 

“I hate family reunions,” Butch sulked, before the dreaded hour.

Tom rolled his eyes and didn’t even bother replying because he had heard this before, every single time.

Butch would probably keep having this attitude about family reunions until the world ended.

Or if he decided to end the world, whichever came first.

So Meathead and Lightning arrived eventually, and almost immediately got to being annoying (in Butch’s opinion).

“Hey, dear brothers of ours! Still acting on that little kiddies show then?” Meathead asked, and Lightning laughed.

Butch rolled his eyes. “I want you to leave already. Can this be over now?”

Tom elbowed the black cat in the side and ignored the death threats that were then muttered. “At least we got rich of that ‘little kiddies show’ while you two go through a thousand jobs a year or lose more fights to a mouse more than I lose my fur to a manic dog.”

That made Butch laugh this time as the tables weren’t just turned, they were thrown.

“Hey, I’ve managed to hold down my latest job for a good few months!” Meathead argued.

“Really? Shocking, what are you a garbage man?” Butch said sarcastically.

“No! I’m a janitor.”

The grey and black cat duo were silent for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“The last time you were a janitor you poisoned someone,” Butch said when he had calmed down. “Also, it hurts to laugh.”

“Yeah, you get used to it the more you do it. But seriously a janitor?”

Meathead crossed his arms. “Okay, that whole poisoning ordeal was one time and one person.”

“But what were you even doing in the kitchen of that restaurant in the first place?” Lightning butted in.

“Cleaning the floors!”

“Then how did rat poison find its way into a burger which was then served to an undercover police officer?” Tom asked.

“Okay, it’s not like he died!”

“No he was just hospitalised in critical condition and after that the entire place was shut down under investigation,” Butch replied.

“I was never caught!”

“But you did lose your job, just like we all thought you would,” Lightning shot back.

“Oh shut up, you-“

The conversation was interrupted by a monkey scampering over and making a fuss about a familiar tiny dog attacking its tail.

“When did you guys get a dog?” Lightning asked, trying to pull Shredder off and instantly backing up when the dog tried to bite him.

“That’s Shredder, he belongs to Jerry. And the only time he attacks someone is when something happens to his owner,” Butch replied.

“What exactly does your monkey eat, Lightning?” Tom asked.

“Why do you assume it’s mine?” the ginger cat replied.

The grey cat scoffed. “Because last time you were here you said you wanted a monkey.”

“So, brother, tell us right now if there’s a chance your monkey could have eaten our friend or I’ll drop kick him and you from the roof,” Butch threatened.

“He does eat both real and cartoon mice,” Meathead muttered.

And for whatever reason, Butch decided the best way to handle the situation would be to throw bricks at his other two siblings as a way of distraction while Tom reached through the monkey’s mouth and pulled out a hyperventilating far from sane Jerry.

“And I thought this reunion would be like all the others,” the black cat commented.


	10. Chapter 10

Later on, when Jerry had disappeared to wash and calm down because when he was mad it was just as scary as when Butch gets mad, three out of the four cat brothers decided to start something.

This something would probably lead to the house becoming a wreck.

Not that anyone cared.

It started with Tom, Meathead and Lightning not allowing Butch to sit on the couch with them.

“Make room for me you stupid fools!” the black cat exclaimed.

“You do know that ‘stupid’ and ‘fool’ mean the same thing, sibling. Stop being redundant,” Tom replied with a smirk.

“What he said,” Meathead added.

“You don’t even have the brains to know what redundant means, ignoramus.”

“Ignor-what?”

The black cat rolled his eyes. “That’s what I thought.”

“Look, just go sit in that chair,” Tom said.

The three on the couch snickered.

Butch narrowed his eyes. “Have you three planned something?”

“No, we’re just asking you to sit on the chair because there’s no room left here,” Lightning replied, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

“Rubbish, you’ve planned something!”

“You’re too paranoid,” Meathead argued, right before he collapsed into giggles and got slapped by Lightning.

Unfortunately someone else decided to sit on the chair; Spike, who had just returned with Tyke from their picnic. 

And the very moment he did, he was sent flying into the wall thanks to a spring that had been hidden inside the chair.

Butch smirked at his cowering brothers who knew they’d be dead when the bulldog came to.

“I take it that was meant for me, fellas? Well you’ll have to do better than that.”

“There’s traps set up all over the house, sibling. Better watch out,” Tom replied.

The black cat waved a paw as he headed for the kitchen. “It’s gonna take more than that to catch me.”

He fell through a trap door right after that.

Tom, Meathead and Lightning laughed at the screams and the sound of a certain cat hitting the ground of the basement.

“What was that you were saying about not falling for our traps?” Tom called down tauntingly.

“I HATE YOU ALL!” Butch screamed from below.

..........

Soon enough, the four cat brothers got into a huge fight.

An overwhelming amount of pranks and misunderstandings have led to it after Butch falling through the trap door to the basement triggered a prank war.

Along with kicks and punches and scratches there was also a lot of harrowing threats.

“I’ll crush you like bugs!”

“I’ll rip you apart!”

“I’ll tear you to pieces!”

“I'll rip out your lungs and carve out your eyes! I'll rend your flesh and burn your remains as I tear out your hearts and eat them!"

The other three siblings stared wild eyed at Butch for a few seconds.

“You are aware kids could be reading this, right?” Lightning asked.

“Yes, why?”

“Oh, no reason. Just checking.”

Lightning then punched Meathead in the face as a signal for the fight to continue.

And fight they did!

At some point Jerry decided he could afford to sleep somewhere else for the night and left the house with Shredder in tow.

Spike came to as well, and he took one look at the destroyed living room and the four cats who had ruined it with their fighting.

He then remembered the chair, and flying into the wall.

And so he got angry.

“HEY!”

The four cats instantly froze.

“WHO PUT THAT SPRING IN THE CHAIR!?”

Butch, Lightning and Meathead instantly pointed to Tom.

“I hate you three so much,” the grey cat muttered.

At the end of the day Tom had gotten beaten up by Spike, Butch was satisfied with how awesome the day had turned out and their siblings Meathead and Lightning (along with that wretched monkey) left at long last.

Well, until Thanksgiving; literally a week away after that reunion.


	11. Chapter 11

Butch’s mean attitude; something nobody deserved to have to put up with.

Tom, Jerry, Spike and Tyke were the main victims to this awful attitude and were so close to having the awful cat thrown out of the house.

But the black cat would only sneak back in and proceed to attempt to destroy the house and kill them all in a wild explosion so unfortunately the only thing that could be done was to find a safe, easy way to deal with it.

The two landlords of the house, Tom and Jerry, decided to deal with it themselves seeing as Spike was distracted with trying to get Tyke down from a tree (how it happened in the first place no one wanted to find out).

And besides, the pup had managed to either eat or destroy all the food in the house following some kind of crazy sugar induced food fight against imaginary living vegetables (long story).

The famous, well known cat and mouse duo went food shopping so no one would starve and also took the chance to bounce ideas around.

“We can’t do anything violent because I’m sure we all know he’ll kill us,” Tom pointed out, pushing a trolley round a supermarket while people stared because, oh my gosh everyone’s favourite cat and mouse are out in public, shopping.

“So what can we do that won’t send us to an early grave?” Jerry asked, perched on the part of the trolley Tom had his paws on.

The grey cat shrugged. “Do we have any fans that are inventors?”

The mouse nodded. “There is one, but they’re a super fan. Not crazy but still, you know.”

“Well it’s the only choice we have. And I say it’s better to be loved and hated.”

“You make a good point.”

The cat smiled. “Thank you.”

.........

After shopping had been done Jerry stood on a pile of books to be behind the wheel of the car and drove them out to the woods where this mysterious super fan lived.

“People who live in the woods either die from a serial killer, or they are one,” Tom commented.

“You watch too many horror movies,” Jerry replied simply.

“It’s not my fault if they’re set in the woods.”

“But it is your fault for not walking away the very second your brother puts one on,” the mouse answered.

The cat couldn’t think of an answer for a moment. “Maybe if we can change his behaviour it won’t happen anymore.”

“Good point.”

Jerry eventually stopped the car outside of a log cabin, with lights on inside.

“This is the part where we die,” Tom commented, as he followed his co star and friend to the front door.

The mouse ignored that particular comment and knocked on the door.

After a few moments of Tom biting his claws in fear, the door was opened and who stood there before them.....

......was a tortoise, known as Jack Nobody.

“Hello, Tom and Jerry,” he said, the glee evident in his voice. “What can I do for you?”

“We have a small....problem at home, do you have anything to help with an aggressive personality?” Jerry asked.

The tortoise nodded. “Of course, I have just the thing. Come inside.”

Tom was reluctant to do such a thing until his mouse friend threatened to leave him behind all alone in the dark woods.

Jack led the two into a room at the back of the house. “This is where I keep my inventions.”

On the walls hung all kinds of different types of mysterious things that closely resembled guns but clearly weren’t.  
“Try this,” Jack said, handing over one of these to Tom. “Just fire it at the person whose personalities you want to change and it should do the trick.”

“Thank you very much,” Jerry said.

Jack smiled. “My pleasure, anything to help out my heroes.”

Tom couldn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Right come on, let’s go.”

With some goodbyes the cat and mouse duo headed home, now only wondering about how to do this.


	12. Chapter 12

Spike and Tyke were for whatever reason waiting outside when Tom and Jerry arrived back home.

The pup was bouncing around the house and along the sidewalk, while the bigger bulldog sat on the step with his head in his paws.

“We have something that can help us with Butch. Why are you guys outside?” Jerry said.

“Just been waiting, I’m starving,” Spike replied. “Did you remember chillidogs for Tyke?”

Tom nodded and hauled a box out from the back of the car. Tyke instantly tore the lid off and scoffed down the entire lot, looking very happy and pleased with himself when he was done.

“Is Butch inside?” Tom asked.

“Yep,” Spike nodded.

“Perfect,” the grey cat smirked. Armed with the invention Jack Nobody had given them, he marched up to the door.

“So that’s the thing we have and Tom is going to use it to change Butch’s personality into something more pleasant,” Jerry explained to Spike.

The bulldog nodded in understanding. “This won’t end well.”

“Yeah.....”

The two shared a glance and decided to follow Tom.

Butch was sitting in the living room, with a cup of tea in his paw.

“Where were you? And what is that?” he asked Tom.

“Sorry, brother,” the grey cat replied, right before he fired it right at Butch.

The black cat had jumped out of his chair in the split second right before he was hit so when the beam did hit him he was frozen in the air for a second before crashing down to the floor.

“I really hope you didn’t kill him because our day has been bad enough and I didn’t sign up for this kind of thing,” Jerry commented.

“If he’s dead, then so is Jack Nobody,” Tom replied.

The cat and mouse and bulldog circled round Butch to see if anything happened, if his personality had changed.

He opened his eyes with a scowl and everyone let out a deep sad sigh.

But right after it changed into a genuine smile.

“Tom, Jerry! You guys are back! Thank goodness because it was starting to get chilly outside and I know how easy you two feel the cold.”

The pair exchanged glances. So far so good, it seemed.

Butch picked himself up from the floor. “Did you get any shopping done while you were out? I can help with getting the bags in.”

“That would be great, sibling,” Tom said after a moment.

The black cat nodded with a smile and headed outside to the car.

He came back inside the house after a few minutes with all the shopping bags that had been stuffed in the back of the car.

“I think we can get used to him,” Tom said.


	13. Chapter 13

Two immediate perks of a nicer Butch.

One; no more near death experience driving. Even when they were running late there were no more shortcuts.

Two; for once the director was left speechless.

Both of these had happened on this particular day. In that exact order.

On the drive to the studio they were running late and Butch listened to everyone’s warnings about not taking a ‘shortcut’ which is something he never would usually do.

Usually, he would just be like “suck it up then, losers”.

But no, this was Butch with a much nicer attitude. Someone who didn’t want to accidentally kill someone with careless driving.

And it didn’t matter if they were late, the crew decided they valued their lives more than the director’s patience and whacked up concept of time.

They also knew they’d get yelled at anyway so it never really mattered how early or late they got there.

“And WHERE have the four of you BEEN!?”

Yep, always. No matter what.

Butch stepped in and said, “We apologise, we know how valuable your time is, and we’re sorry to keep you waiting. It won’t happen again.”

The last part may or may not be a lie since it would always happen as long as they were working in the studio, but oh well.

“Yes, well.....okay. It better not happen again. Now, positions please.”

The lack of shouting as well as Butch’s sincere apology shocked everyone in the room, including the rest of the Tom and Jerry Crew.

But for whatever reason, even if this new and nicer Butch was amazing and more bearable, the rest of the crew actually found themselves missing the old one.

Because even though mean, gothic, near death experience driving, never listens to anyone Butch was hard to live with and never ever smiled he did have his sweet moments.

He threatened the paparazzi with bombs on the one and only time they made the mistake of nearly hurting Tom, likes to act like he hates Jerry’s tiny dog but really sneaks Shredder bits of food every now and then, gets Tyke breakfast every day even when he cannot be bothered and just wants him to shut up.

So sue them, because they missed that kind of Butch they were familiar with.

Later that day when the director had sent them off, Tom and Jerry went out on a walk with Butch.

The black cat kept getting distracted by literally anything that he saw, and kept randomly running off in any direction.

Unfortunately the cat and mouse duo simply did not have the time to find out what exactly Butch was doing.

Instead they were discussing how and why to turn him back to his usual grumpy selfish self.

“So....it should be easy as that?” Tom asked, holding out the invention.

“Yes, I called Jack Nobody last night just to be sure,” Jerry replied.

“Hmmm.....I don’t know if we should do this in public.”

The mouse scoffed. “You brought weapons with you on a walk in this very park the day we met.”

“Good point,” the cat muttered. “Also that was how the idea for our cartoon was found.”

“Uh huh. Just hit him with the other setting then we can go home so he can drink tea and complain.”

Tom laughed, because that’s exactly how the Butch they know and love is like.

When the black cat had eventually came back from wherever he had been, the grey cat took the chance to shoot his brother with the invention but this time with it on a different setting.

Just like before Butch had fallen to the ground, and the cat and mouse stood by his side waiting for a response.

When he opened his eyes with a smile the two screamed.

But thank goodness that was quickly replaced with his usual scowl.

“Do you know how exhausting it was having to be nice to you fools!?”

Tom rolled his eyes as his brother picked himself up off the ground. “You should be thankful we turned you back.”

“Shut it, sibling. We are going home right now and NEVER using that thing on me again and if you do I won’t hesitate to skin you alive!”

So Tom, Jerry and the old grumpy Butch everyone loved to hate headed back home.

Everything was back to the same insane ways it always had been.


	14. Chapter 14

It was a thunderous day when this particular tale took place.

For whatever reason Tom, Butch, Spike and Tyke had this in common; they hated thunder and lightning.

Jerry and Shredder were for whatever reason the only ones not affected by the weather, so spent the morning covering each and every window with the curtains and blinds.

“You know, this reminds me of the time that you all thought you were braver than me. Oh wait that was this morning,” the mouse said, greatly enjoying this.

Butch glared from where he was visibly shaking and hiding behind the couch with Tom. “I could kill you, you know.”

“You’ll have to come out then,” Jerry grinned mischievously.

The black cat would have gladly had a flash of lighting not brought light into the room briefly.

“We need a distraction. Or a plan, in case this is the end for us,” Tom said.

“Can lightning get us from in here?” Spike asked, cowering under a table with Tyke by his side because even if the pup was fearless with literally anything else, this weather was his worst fear.

Jerry suddenly got an idea. “Spike, have we ever told you about how ‘Tom and Jerry’ started?”

The bulldog perked up slightly.

Butch let out a sharp, high pitched yelp as thunder crashed right outside the window.

Tom burst out laughing. “That’s a great idea, better make sure you don’t get scared like that again, sibling.”

“You know if there wasn’t a storm outside I’d have you dead!” the black cat snapped back.

The grey cat laughed some more before calming down. “Okay, so it started when me and Butch here went for a walk in the park....”

........

A flashback; it’s sunny, the day is beautiful. Everyone outside is happy and smiling.

Butch is of course not one of these people.

Tom sighed from his spot beside his pouting sibling as the black cat glared at everything and everyone. “Do you have to be so negative?”

“Well excuse me for not being like you, all happy and stuff. Ugh it’s sickening.”

The grey cat rolled his eyes.

Butch stopped in his tracks and pointed over to a mouse (Jerry) sitting on the grass. “Look over there.”

Tom looked. “Okay. I see a mouse. Now what happens?”

The black cat scoffed. “I bet you to scare it.”

“And why would I participate in this!?”

“Because it’s a bet, you can’t back down from a bet.”

Tom could have strangled his sibling because of course he was right, but instead walked over to the mouse.

He had learned from Butch the scariest of facial expressions, so he tried using this one on the mouse.

Obviously it didn’t work.

Jerry was completely unaffected, but Tom had a competitive side and he wasn’t about to lose a bet to his gloating brother.

So that’s why the grey cat got out one of the weapons he had taken from Butch (mostly for the safety of himself and everyone else in the park, Butch is very unpredictable).

The mouse wasn’t dumb enough to ignore a weapon being fired at him so obviously he ran away, and Tom gave chase.

Meanwhile, two producers were trying to come up with an idea for a new cartoon.

They looked up at the right time as Jerry jumped through a small hole into a tree and Tom ran headfirst into the same tree.  
Both producers burst out laughing and before anyone knew it, a new cartoon was made.

..............

“They approached us that same day with an offer we couldn’t refuse. And I don’t know how but after a few days of filming and forming a shared hate of the director we all know and love to this day, we became friends,” Tom explained.

Butch scoffed. “Even in the story of how you two met I am in the background.”  
“Of course you have a problem with this too,” Jerry muttered, and Tom laughed.

I think it’s obvious who became friends and who didn’t.


	15. Chapter 15

Things were surprisingly normal and quiet in the Tom & Jerry household.

Of course this would never be for long but it was always nice while it lasted.

Anyway, the morning of this day started with Butch drinking his tea in his chair, for the first time in a while not bringing anyone down and minding his own business.

Until Tyke came running down the stairs, holding a baseball bat, and hit Butch over the head with said bat which caused the black cat to fall to the ground with his tea spilled everywhere.

As the witness, Tom burst out laughing.

Butch was in disbelief for a second, before it turned to anger just as quickly.

“What the heck is wrong with you, brat!?”

“I’m hungry!” the pup said, immune to anything the black cat could throw at him.

“You’re....hungry.....” Butch repeated in pure disbelief.

“I WANT FOOD!” Tyke yelled.

The peace was once and for all gone.

“You can starve for all I care,” the cat grumbled in response.

Bad idea.

Tyke then used his baseball bat to hit him between the legs.

So that’s why Butch spent the next few minutes jumping up and down in pain and muttering curses while Tom laughed even harder.

“I.....want.....FOOD!” Tyke demanded.

Butch sighed, loudly and dramatically. “I will get you something to eat, alright? But never do that again or you will regret it.”

The pup just beamed as he followed the cat into the kitchen.

Tom laughed further. 

“It’s funny how Tyke is the only person in this house that can control Butch,” he said.

“I HEARD THAT!” Butch yelled.

“I WANTED YOU TO HEAR IT, STUPID!” Tom yelled back.

Jerry sighed from where he was seated, Shredder on his lap. “We should head to the studio soon.”

The grey cat hummed in agreement. “We’re filming the theme song for the new cartoon?”

“Yep, so we know what that means.”

“More director yelling,” the two said in unison, both equally not looking forward to that at all.

And Butch was actually in complete agreement, as he groaned upon entering into the living room once more.

“Why do I even have to go? I’m not even it this theme song,” the black cat huffed.

“The director wants all of us,” Jerry replied.

“Yeah, so we should probably get Spike up as well,” Tom added.

Butch said he could handle that, which the cat and mouse disagreed with strongly but didn’t argue.

The black cat walked up to Spike’s room and found the bulldog was indeed still asleep, so his method to wake him was to drag the sleeping dog out the room and throw him down the stairs.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Spike screamed as he hit the ground.

“Time for you to wake up, fool,” Butch said.

The bulldog knew best not to try to argue, a mistake that had been made before and learnt from.

When it was time to go, Butch was told he would be the one taking Tyke to school.

Tom laughed at his sibling’s expense.

“Why do I need to take the brat?” Butch groaned.

“Because you’re not in the theme song and even if you’re due in the studio today, you’re still not in the theme song,” Jerry explained.

Tom only laughed harder.

“Yes Jerry, thank you for reminding me that I have to waste my day in that rat infested studio for no good reason. Why can’t I stay home?” Butch huffed.

“Because Shredder is staying home too and I already told him to attack you on sight.”

The grey cat laughed even harder.

“I should have let that dog go to the pound,” Butch muttered darkly, but got in the other car along with Tyke and left without another word.

“I stand corrected, there’s two in this house that can control my sibling,” Tom said.

.......

“Where the heck have you three been!? You’re all late!” the director yelled, as usual.

“Nice to see you too,” Tom replied, deadpan.

Jerry held back a snort.

“Don’t give me any of that! You better have an excuse for being so late!”

“That clock says we’re 30 minutes early,” Spike pointed out, motioning to the clock on the wall.

The director quickly changed the time on it. “Well that clock is slow, either way you’re late! Now let’s get to work!”

The trio just decided to go along and get it over with.

After about a dozen takes and Tom getting yelled at repeatedly for his “acting” which he responded with some not too nice comments, finally it was done and everyone was pleased.

The director sent everyone home early and the trio were very happy about that.

Butch was already home when they got there, and had all his fur still in tact.

“Where is he?” Jerry instantly asked.

“Relax. I just knocked him out with some sleeping powder, he’s right over there,” the cat responded.

The mouse relaxed upon seeing his pet unharmed and sleeping peacefully.

“So, what happens now?”

Tom shrugged. 

“This chapter doesn’t have much of a plot here. We should think of something to mix things up.”

Butch scoffed at that. “I’d rather jump into a pit of lava.”

This comment was ignored.

“What exactly should we do then?” Spike asked.

Silence as everyone started thinking.

Tom snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it! Let’s go on a quest!”


	16. Chapter 16

Our favorite cat and mouse duo never knew what happened.

The day had started out going on a quest, and now they were both tied up and being lowered down into lava.

“Let us go!” Tom yelled at the pair of shadowy figures who had taken him and Jerry in the first place.

“Sorry, no can do,” the first shadowy figure said with a malicious grin. “We have big plans for you. And by big plans, it will be dropping you into that vat of lava and watching you burn.”

“Besides, why would we tie you up if we were going to let you go?” the second figure asked.

“We’ll get you for this,” Tom growled.

“I can’t believe our day turned out like this,” Jerry said, “and to think it started off so well.....”

Flashback....

After Tom had announced his big plan to give the story a new plot, Spike and Tyke had agreed instantly like the adventurous duo they were. Jerry thought it would be interesting and he didn’t have anything else to do.

Butch was of course against it, but he was greatly outnumbered and was forced along.

And so there they were, off on a quest.

While Butch sulked in the passenger seat as Tom drove, Tyke was singing The Campfire Song from Spongebob Squarepants next to a campfire.

“Will you stop singing campfire songs!? We’re not even at a campfire!” Butch snapped.

In the very backseat of the minivan, Tyke was burning the seat next to him and calling it a campfire.

Spike turned around to tell him off.

“Tyke, you need to stop....”

He gasped. “Put that fire out!”

"Put what out?" Tyke asked.

"The fire!"

"What fire?" Tyke asked.

"The fire that you need to put out!" Spike yelled.

"What do I need to put out?" Tyke asked.

"The FIRE!" Spike yelled.

"Oh, for Pete's sake. Give me that!" Butch said.

He reached over from the front, tore the burning seat off the ground and threw it out the door. The burning seat landed on the grass, which started to catch on fire.

"There. Problem solved,” Butch said, completely uncaring of the fact he had practically started a wildfire.

Jerry sighed. “Tom, where exactly are we going?”

“I told you, we’re going on a quest,” the grey cat answered.

"Yes, I know that, but where are we going?"

“Um.....McDonald’s?”

“There’s a McDonald’s five minutes from us, how does that count as a quest?”

“We could go to one that’s 4500 miles away.”

“I don’t care if there’s one five seconds away, we are NOT going there!” Butch cut in.

Tom sighed. “Fine. How about we look for buried treasure?”

“But we don’t have any treasure maps,” Spike pointed out.

The grey cat smirked. “Oh, but I do.”

“Really? How’d you get it?” Jerry asked.

“A long story fraught with continuity errors.”

“I don’t want to know?”

“You really don’t.”

“You two are such buffoons,” Butch commented.

“Oh shut it, sibling,” Tom replied.

“Well it’s your fault I’m even here on your stupid ‘quest’ right now.”

“I was trying to help you, you need to get out more. All you do is fester inside the house like a disease,” Tom said.

“If I want to mope then I’ll mope,” Butch commented.

“At least be less of a jerk than you usually are, this is a day to have fun!”

Butch raised an eyebrow. 

"Going on your fantasy adventures where you face preposterous nightmare creatures and certain death around every corner is considered more fun than lying around in our secure and cozy mansion?"

“You know what I mean!” Tom said.

“No I don’t!”

There was silence for a moment.

“Tyke’s being unusually quiet,” Tom commented.

"If we're lucky, maybe he fell out of the car and injured himself,” Butch replied.

“You’re incredibly cruel, you know that?”

“I try.”

..........

Meanwhile, a shadowy figure watched the mini-van that Tom and Jerry were in. It was almost time for the trap.

And then, the shadowy figure and his partner would finally have their revenge on Tom and Jerry!

.........

“Bah, I am really hating today,” Butch said.

“You hate every day,” Spike replied.

“I hate today even more.”

"Come on, Butch. Stop being so dark and miserable. If you do that then maybe you'll actually enjoy yourself" Jerry said.

“Go jump off a cliff.”

The mouse sighed. “Tom, help me out with this. Tell your gothic brother that he can have fun if he just lets himself.”

"That's what I've been trying to tell him. But he never listens. He usually just says mean things…” Tom said.

“Go burn yourself,” Butch said.

“....and he totally blows me off,” Tom finishes.

The car descends into silence again.

"I WANT A UNICORN!” Tyke yelled.

More silence.

“.....What!?” Butch exclaimed.

“I want a unicorn!” Tyke repeated.

“As hilarious as it would be to see you killed by a unicorn, you’re not getting one.”

The black cat narrowed his eyes.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re all going to die in the next few seconds?”

Before anyone could respond, a small mini-missile impacted their car and exploded. Everyone in the car was blasted to unconsciousness.

..........

The blast wasn't very large and was only powerful enough to knock them unconscious with only a few minor burns.

Tyke was blasted into a different location but Tom, Jerry, Butch, and Spike were in the same location.

Two shadowy figures walked out from the bushes. One of them was holding a bazooka.

The first shadowy figure was tall and skinny while the second figure was shorter and plumper.

"Looks like we got them. What should we do now?" the shorter one said.

"All I care about is Tom and Jerry. I don't care what happens to other two. Let's load Tom and Jerry into the truck and get out of here" the first figure answered.

"Gotcha" the shorter one said.

The two figures picked up Tom and Jerry and dropped them into their trunk.

They got in their car and drove off.

..........

A half-hour later, Butch opened his eyes as he regained consciousness.

"Ugh, my head hurts. I feel like someone hit me with a bazooka" Butch groaned as he looked around.

He immediately spotted a big gray dog that was unconscious.

“Of course I’m stuck with this loser....hey! Wake up!”

"Ugh…Butch? What happened?" Spike said.

“We were knocked out, stupid. Our car is destroyed and now my brother and that mouse are gone too.”

Spike looked around and gulped.

They really were in the wilderness, alone and exposed to any wild carnivorous animal.

This was definitely scary.

He turned to find Tyke, so he could give him comfort but quickly found that he couldn't find him.

“Uh, Butch, where's Tyke?” Spike asked with a worried expression.

........

Tyke didn't know where he was, and he really didn't care. 

The explosion from earlier had barely even fazed him and although most 6-year-old kids would be shivering in fright by now, Tyke was sitting in the grass playing Super Mario Bros. on his Nintendo DS as if he was still at home.

..........

Our favorite gray cat opened his eyes.

"Ugh…what the heck?" Tom groaned as he looked around, and found that he was in a lair of some sort.

He could tell that it was an evil villains' lair because of the aura that it radiated. Or maybe it was because there was a sign above him that said 'This is an evil villains' lair'.

At least he wasn’t alone, with a familiar unconscious brown mouse.

“Jerry, wake up,” Tom carefully shook his friend.

The mouse groaned and opened his eyes. “Tom? What happened?”

“Well, we’ve been kidnapped. That’s all I know, so we should try getting out of here so we can find everyone else.”

Suddenly the door opened and the two villains came out.

"Aha, so the fools are finally awake."

“FOOLS!?” the cat and mouse exclaimed angrily.

“Who are you?” Tom asked.

"You can call us…Tom and Jerry" the villains said.

.........

Butch and Spike walked through the forest.

The black cat was as unhappy as ever, being stuck with company he loathed.

While the dog was more on edge as he still hadn’t found Tyke.

And of course Tyke was perfectly okay, just getting bored and hungry.

Meanwhile with our cat and mouse duo.....

"Are you quite finished?" asked the Pseudo-Tom once the cat and mouse had finished laughing.

"Yeah.”

"Pretty much.”

"Good. In that case, I believe that you are now our prisoners." the Pseudo-Jerry said as they pointed their guns at Tom and Jerry's faces.

"Jerk…" Jerry muttered.

"Now, I believe this is the part of the story where we reveal our evil plot" said the figure that claimed to be 'Tom'.

"What if we don't want to hear your evil plot?" Jerry asked.

"Then, we'll just kill you and get it over with,” answered Pseudo-Jerry.

"Never mind. Lets hear your evil plot,” Jerry said.

"Right. Anyway, our evil plot is simple. Me and Jerry, the REAL Jerry, will kill you fakers. Then, once you die, our TV show will be put back on the air and we'll be famous again!" said the man claiming to be 'Tom'.

"Your TV show? What are you talking about?" Jerry asked.

"Wait a minute…I thought you guys looked familiar. You wouldn't happen to be…the original Tom and Jerry?" Tom asked.

"Original Tom and Jerry? What do you mean 'original' Tom and Jerry? I thought that we were the ONLY Tom and Jerry" Jerry said.

Tom shook his head.

"Do you remember the time between the 1930's and the 1960's when cartoons were still in black and white?" Tom asked.

"Well, yeah,” Jerry said.

"Well, before our show came along, there was another show that was also called 'Tom and Jerry'. The stars of the show were two humans who had the same name as us and they went on many adventures and quests and stuff,” Tom said.

"So, what happened to the stars of the show?" Jerry asked.

"We're looking at them,” Tom said.

"You mean- Oh, man. Good grief, we've been kidnapped by has-been cartoon stars?!" Jerry asked.

"Hey! We resent the insult!"

"It appears that we have been kidnapped by has-beens. Embarrassing, isn't it?" Tom said.

"We are not has-beens! We were famous,” Original-Tom said.

"Which explains why your show was canceled,” Tom said.

"It was all your fault! But we'll get our show back!" said Original-Tom.

"Let me guess, you intend to get rid of our show and find a way to get your own show back on the air?" Tom asked.

"Precisely,” Original-Jerry said.

"That's not going to happen.” Tom said.

"Yes, it will! Your show is awful and anyone who it appeals to doesn't deserve to live on the Earth as well as the rest of the human race!" Original-Jerry said.

"If your show is taken off the air, then that will just be one less bad cartoon to worry about,” Original-Tom said.

"Of course, in order to get your show off the air, we will have to kill you,”Original-Jerry said.

“NO!” the cat and mouse exclaimed.

"Well, you sure can't do anything about it since you're tied up and dangling over lava,” Original-Tom said.

"But we're not tied up, and we're not dangling over lava,” Jerry said.

The Original Tom and Jerry threw a rope around them and tied them up over a lava pit.

"You are now!" Original-Jerry said.

Tom and Jerry struggled as they dangled over a lava pit. The Original Tom and Jerry chuckled as they watched the Modern Tom and Jerry struggle.

........

A wild animal was walking through the forest. It was hungry and it had not eaten all day.

It was searching for food now.

Suddenly, the animal heard a noise and it turned to see a small dog on the grass. 

The animal's eyes narrowed at the sight of Tyke rolling around in the grass.

He had just found his next meal.


	17. Chapter 17

Previously on Tom and Jerry:

Determined to give this story a plot, Tom decides to take the others on a quest. 

Unfortunately, a missile impacted their car and knocked them out. When Butch and Spike wake up they find themselves trapped in a forest with no way to get out. 

Meanwhile, Tom and Jerry have been kidnapped by their original and human counterparts (the Original Tom and Jerry). 

Now, Tom and Jerry are hanging on the edge of a lava pit! Also, it looks as if Tyke might just get eaten by a wild animal!

.........

The rope that held Tom and Jerry began to lower. Tom and Jerry began to sweat as they felt the heat of the lava close in on them.

"We are so dead," said Tom.

"Seems that way," Jerry said. "What a crummy way to go. Done in by old has-beens who can't seem to get a life."

"I can think of worse ways to die,” Tom said.

The rope began to lower some more and the room was silent except for the Original Tom and Jerry's evil chuckling.

Tom and Jerry were so close to the lava that it was almost touching their faces. 

But just before it did, "it" happened.

........

Butch and Spike wondered through the forest. Their patience was growing thin. They were sure that it had been an hour already and they had yet to see a sign of Tyke…or Tom and Jerry.

“We better find those idiots, the Director will kill us if we let the stars of "Tom and Jerry" die,” Butch said.

Spike could imagine that going over well.

They kept walking. The more they walked, the more tired they seemed to get. It wasn't long until Spike began to pant.

"Oh, come on! Are you tired already?!" Butch asked with an irritated groan.

Spike looked up and glared at Butch.

"Hey! I'm built for strength, not speed! I can't walk as fast as you do" he said.

"Humph, you need to hurry up before I leave you with carnivorous animals,” Butch said.

"All the more reason why we should find Tyke as soon as possible. He's probably scared out of his mind" Spike said.

Butch snorted.

"'Scared'? Please. This is 'Tyke' we're talking about. He can face the biggest monster in the world and still not feel fear, you fool.”

"Let's just keep moving so we can grab the poor baby" Spike said.

"Poor baby? How old do you think Tyke is…?" Butch asked.

"One or two…I don't know" Spike said.

"He's six, as his father, you would know that" Butch said.

"Whatever…" Spike muttered as he kept walking.

He didn't like the look of the sky getting dark. If this place was dangerous in the daytime, then it would be more dangerous at night.

That's when it hit him.

"Hey Butch! Don't you have a cell phone?! If you have a cell phone then we could call someone for help" Spike asked.

"Who would leave their nice, warm house and travel out here in the middle of nowhere and in the nighttime just to bail us out?" Butch asked.

"I don't know! Just call someone! The Director, Droopy, Mrs. Two-Shoes, Tootles, anyone!"

"As much as I want to do that, I can’t.”

"WHY THE HECK NOT?!" Spike yelled.

"Because I don't have it anymore. My cell phone is no longer in my possession." Butch said.

"You just bought a new cell phone TWO DAYS AGO! How can it no longer be in your possession?!" Spike asked.

"I sold it." Butch said.

"You…what?" Spike asked.

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't want to sell it, but I was broke.”

"What did you need to purchase that was so important that you decided to sell your own cell phone?" Spike asked.

"Oh, just some bubble gum and some toothpicks" Butch said.

"You sold your CELL PHONE for a crummy pack of toothpicks and some bubble gum!" Spike yelled.

"Um, I was broke, remember?" Butch asked.

"You couldn't be broke. We're millionaires! There is no way that you could get broke! Now, just so you could obtain some toothpicks and chew on an elastic chewing gum with temporary flavor, you sold your CELL PHONE which is our only ticket out of here?!"

"I blame the present government," Butch was quick to say.

Spike and Butch got into the beating of the century.

........

The Original Tom and Jerry chuckled to themselves as they slowly lowered the Modern Tom and Jerry into the pot of lava.

"So, Jerry, why are we lowering them slowly? Couldn't we just drop the rope and get it over with?" the Original Tom asked.

"Quiet, fool! I want to savor this moment!" the Original-Jerry said.

They continued to lower the rope when they heard a small sound.

They frowned. What was that noise?

They shrugged it off but when the sound got louder, they frowned in confusion.

The Original Tom and Jerry looked at each other in confusion. Had someone discovered their secret lair? No, that shouldn't be possible.

The Modern Tom and Jerry frowned themselves when they saw what was going on, but they didn't complain since whatever was happening had delayed their drop into the lava.

Soon, a huge form came rushing out of the shadows. It was a lion and it was out of control.

"Holy smokes!" the Original Tom said as the lion rammed into them. This caused them to lose their grip on the rope that held Tom and Jerry, and the cat-and-mouse duo went flying into the air and landed ungracefully on their faces.

The lion ran around with bloodshot eyes. It was out of control and it seemed to be upset about something.

"We've got to get rid of that lion before it destroys our lair!" Original Tom said.

"We've got to knock it out somehow! Use that hammer of yours to knock it out!" Original Jerry said.

Original Tom took out a hammer and swung it, and it hit Original Jerry on the head.

"OW! Not on my face, you fool!" Original Jerry shouted.

"Sorry…" Original Tom said sheepishly.

The lion went berserk and the Original Tom and Jerry ran away…and the chase began.

The Modern Tom and Jerry watched as the Original Tom and Jerry bounded up the stairs. The lion was close behind them.

At the landing, they pushed off the wall and jumped right back down the stairs, over their predator's head. At the foot of the stairs, they ran like crazy, desperate to get out of the lair, where they couldn't be trapped…

The Original Jerry jumped on the Original Tom's head, and due to his weight, he nearly concussed the Original-Tom.

As the Original Tom fell to the ground with a headache, Original Jerry went sailing out of the Lair's entrance, busting through the door and landed on the ground. The lion kept charging toward him.

Jerry (Original) tottered to his feet and ran up a tree. It was then that he realized that he had climbed up the tree most likely to fall over in the forest.

The lion ran into the tree, and Jerry (Original) fell down the tree, hitting every branch and bouncing heavily off of it. He landed in a wounded heap directly under the falling tree.

All the air was driven out of Original-Jerry's lungs as the heavy oak tree landed right on top of him.

It was a good thing that he was a cartoon character and could take a lot more injuries than the average person; otherwise he would've died right there.

Tom (original) had decided that his partner wasn't worth it and ran off screaming.

The Modern Tom and Jerry looked at each other and only one thought came to their minds: What the freak?

Jerry (original) had somehow pushed the tree off of him and ran away screaming leaving the lion with the modern Tom and Jerry.

The lion growled as he charged around like a bull.

"Did we just get saved by a lion?" Jerry asked.

Tom's eyes narrowed.

That lion looks upset, and judging by how the lion was favoring its stomach, something it ate must be upsetting its stomach.

Tom was flabbergasted as he saw something wriggle in the lion's stomach. Whatever it had eaten was still very alive and not happy.

Who did he know that had tough skin, was hyperactive, and could somehow survive getting eaten by a lion?

"Tyke!" Tom shouted as he realized who was in there.

.........

They had been walking around for hours it seemed. Both Butch and Spike were tired, and there was no end to the forest in sight.

Butch growled in anger.

"I'm going to waste whoever is responsible for us being out here!" Butch said.

“Well when we find your brother, you can do that,” Spike replied.

They continued to walk. Eventually, a house appeared in the distance.

“Finally. Let’s go ask for help to get out of here,” Butch said, quickly stomping over.

When they made it to the house, Butch was about to knock on the door but when his fist hit the door, the door opened, giving them a peek inside.

Butch looked at Spike, who shrugged, before turning back to the door. He opened the door fully and stepped inside.

"Um…hello? Is anyone home?" Butch asked.

"Yes, we are. Who wants to know?" a voice asked.

“I'm Butch Cat and this is Spike Bulldog. We need help. Where are you?" Butch asked looking around.

"We're down here."

Butch looked down and saw three little men.

"Greetings. We are the Little People. I'm Ex, the leader. Over there is Zero, the grumpy one, and that's Mett, the hyper one. Would you like a cup of tea?" Ex asked.

"Um, I suppose" Butch said. He really missed his tea at home.

"Okay then, here!" Ex said.

Ex threw a teacup in Butch's face. The cup somehow ended up in Butch's mouth and down his throat.

Butch grabbed his throat as he began to choke. He ran around in a crazed frenzy as he began choking and coughing.

Soon, he ran into a wall and fell on the ground. The teacup was coughed up and Butch spat it out of his mouth.

"Would you like some more tea?" Ex asked.

"NO I WOULD NOT!" Butch yelled, punching Ex in the face.

"Now, now. There is no need for violence, my friend. Calm yourself" Zero said.

Butch seethed but he forced himself to calm down.

Ex smiled kindly.

"You said that you needed help? Tell us what happened,” he said.

"Well," said Butch, calming down somewhat, "We were hanging out with Tom and Jerry and-"

"Would you like some tea?" Ex interrupted.

"No. So, anyway, we were going on a dumb quest and we-"

"Would you like some tea?"

"No. So, anyway, we were traveling and we-"

"Would you like some tea?"

"NO!" Butch shouted.

"Would you like some tea?"

"I want some tea!" Mett yelled.

"You just had some tea 30 seconds ago,” Ex said.

"So did you,” Mett said.

"Well, yeah, but I don't put sugar in my tea," Ex said.

"I WANT TEA!" Mett yelled.

Butch and Spike shared a look.

These people were obviously crazy.

"I know!" exclaimed Zero. "Let's change the subject."

"What do you want to talk about?" Ex asked.

"Let's talk about TEA!" Mett said.

Zero punched him into unconsciousness.

"Don't mind him. I think he's crazy,” Ex said.

"I think you all are…" Butch muttered.

"So, what do you think of the weather we're having?" Zero asked.

"What do you mean 'what do I think of the weather'?" Butch asked.

"I'M ASKING THE QUESTIONS!" Zero shouted.

"But I didn't…" Butch protested.

"Would you like some tea?" Ex asked.

Butch seethed.

"I don't have time for tea! I've got to find Tom and Jerry!"

"Ah, you seek your friends, yes? Then, we might be able to help you…" Ex said.

"Really, how can you help us?" Butch asked with a doubtful tone.

"We can't help you…"

"BUT YOU JUST SAID…!" Butch interrupted.

"But we know someone who can help you. Nobody. Seek out a man named Jack Nobody. He will help you find your friends." Ex finished.

"How can we find him?" Spike asked.

"Follow the instructions on this map. The map will guide you…" Ex said.

Butch and Spike looked at the map, which was basically a bunch of half-baked, childish scribblings.

They looked up and saw that the Little People had disappeared. In fact, their whole house had disappeared and Butch and Spike were back in the forest.

"Okay, that was weird and a tad bit creepy…" Spike said.

"Come on, let’s just find this 'Jack Nobody' person. Maybe he can help us find Tom and Jerry,” Butch said.

.........

"It's the only way, Jerry. We have to go through the forest, find the lion, and somehow force it to release Tyke,” Tom said.

“I can’t see in the dark,” the mouse protested.

Tom held out his paw. “You can sit on my shoulder. We need to move before anything else comes for us and rescue Tyke.”

Jerry sighed, and climbed up onto the cat’s shoulder.

And so, our favorite cat-and-mouse duo proceeded into the darkness of forest, unaware of the horrors that awaited them…


	18. Chapter 18

Previously on Tom and Jerry: After noticing that the story so far didn't have much of a plot, Tom decided to come up with his own and soon, he convinced everyone to go on a quest. Little did he know of the existence of people who want Tom and Jerry dead, and it was those people who launched a mini-missile on their mini-van and captured the cat-and mouse duo.

It was later revealed that these two bad guys were none other than the Original Tom and Jerry from the 1930's. Wanting nothing less than to kill our favorite cat-and-mouse team, the Original Tom and Jerry had decided to boil them in oil. Before they could accomplish this, the Modern Tom and Jerry were saved due to an event that involved a lion, a falling tree, and Tyke.

Now, Tom and Jerry have to venture into the dark realm of the forest in order to rescue Tyke.

Meanwhile, Butch and Spike seek out a man named 'Jack Nobody', who the Little People claim to have the ability to find their friends….

.........

Spike and Butch were surrounded by trees. They were still lost in the forest, only now, they were searching for Jack Nobody.

"How do we even know this 'Jack Nobody' person even exists?! For all we know, those 'Little People' could've been playing us for saps,” Butch asked, still bitter over their meeting with the Little People.

"Well, it's not like we have a choice, right? We are lost in the forest and we need to find Tyke, Jerry, and Tom." Spike said.

"Oh whatever,” Butch sighed as he continued into the dark forest.

A howl split through the air and it was followed by a monstrous growl. Spike jumped up.

"What was that?" Spike asked.

"I don't know, and I'm not planning on sticking around to find out. Let's go,” Butch said as he dragged Spike by the arms.

And so, they went deeper into the forest.

Soon, the two found themselves at another house.

The house was a very big one with old fashioned walls and windows along with a chimney that released smoke into the air.

"This must be the home of…" Butch started.

"Jack Nobody,” Spike finished.

........

Meanwhile, Tom and Jerry were still looking for the lion that had eaten Tyke.

Jerry wasn't sure how Tom could force the carnivorous beast to release Tyke, but knowing Tom, he'd find a way.

But this forest was so vast and huge! By the time they found Tyke, he might already have been digested.

Tom might've hated Tyke as much as Butch did, but he didn't want the brat to die in a lion's stomach acids!

That was just too cruel.

The grey cat came to a stop.

“Hey, what gives?” Jerry asked.

Tom pointed to the ground. “Look.”

He was pointing towards some animal tracks. They were lion tracks.

"Do you think it's the same lion that ate Tyke?" Jerry asked.

"There's only one way to find out,” Tom said.

Without a sound, Tom and Jerry followed the lion tracks as they led them through the forest.

..........

Spike and Butch looked around and took in their surroundings. The house was very large in both width and height, and there was a faint smell of cinnamon in the air.

They looked at each other, and then back at the huge house. The house wasn't anywhere near as big as their mansion, but they couldn't deny that it was a bigger house than usual.

Spike and Butch didn't say anything. The dog was almost scared to meet this… Jack Nobody.

Surely, he must be a big, strong, intimidating, and scary person.

"Hello," a voice said.

Spike and Butch looked down to see a tiny little turtle that was wearing glasses.

"Who the frack-tail are you?" Butch asked.

"Um, I'm Jacob Nelson, but my friends call me Jack Nobody. Or, at least they would if I actually… had friends." the turtle said meekly.

Butch and Spike did a double take.

THIS was Jack Nobody?

He looked like a NERD! Complete with glasses and freckles to go with them. It was so stereotypical that it almost made them want to cry.

Butch laughed.

"You're Jack Nobody? But you're a NERD!" Butch said.

"Please don't call me that. It's so… demeaning,” the turtle said meekly.

Butch fell to the ground and began to laugh.

"I can't believe it! All this time I was expecting someone… cool! Not this guy! This is so sad,” he laughed.

"Butch, come on. You think you could be just a little bit nicer?" Spike asked.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help it. He's just so nerdy looking. I think I'm going to… oh no, not again!" Butch burst into laughter.

"Butch…" Spike said.

"I'm sorry. I… oh my gosh! I… HA HA HA! HE'S A NERD!" Butch laughed.

"I prefer the term: unrecognized genius," Jack said.

"I think you're an unrecognized loser! But whatever, I didn't come here to laugh at you (as tempting as that is). I came here because we need your help,” Butch said.

"Are you kidding?! You come here and call me a nerd! You make fun of me and laugh at me and now you just expect me to help you? No deal! Get off of my property!" Jack said.

"Wait, Jack, don't! We really need your help! We need you to find our friends!" Spike said.

"And I told you that I don't want to help you! And you can't make me either!" Jack said.

"Alright, then. I guess I'll just have to use force!" Butch said.

He picked up Jack and punched him in the face.

"Help us out or I'll beat you!"

"If you do that, you'll regret it." Jack said.

Butch punched Jack in the chin.

"Yeah, yeah. What are you going to do?"

Jack took out a laser gun and shot Butch in the face.

Butch fell to the ground in pain.

"OW!" he shouted.

"Now, get off of my property or I'm calling the police!" Jack said.

“Wait, Jack! Our friends Tom and Jerry are lost, we need to find them,” Spike pleaded.

“Tom....and Jerry? The actual Tom and Jerry?”

“Yeah! You know them?”

"Of course I do! I'm their biggest fan! I watch Tom and Jerry cartoons every Saturday morning! They're always so funny!" Jack said.

"Well unless you do something to help them out, they may die. So we need help,” Butch replied.

"Not so fast! Even if I am Tom and Jerry's biggest fan, I still can't excuse the way you treated me earlier! I might be able to help, if you pay me somehow!" Jack said.

"PAY you? Oh, heck no! I'm not paying you anything! You'll never take a penny from me! I'll die before I let that happen! You know what? Forget this! I'm out of here. You can rot in acid for all I care" Butch said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Butch, are you crazy? He's offering to help us and you're refusing?!" Spike asked.

"He wants me to PAY him,” Butch said.

"So pay him, you cheapskate!" Spike said.

“Forget it! I'm not wasting any of my money!" Butch said.

"Butch…"

"I said no and no means NO!" Butch shouted.

"Butch, do you want to find Tom and Jerry or not?"

Butch sighed.

"Yes…"

"Then, go over there and pay him!" Spike said.

He sighed. “This better be worth it!"

Butch turned around and walked up to Jack.

"Alright, you little twit. How much money do you want?"

"How about… fifty dollars?" Jack asked.

"FIFTY DOLLARS?! I am NOT giving you fifty dollars!" Butch yelled.

"Then I guess I won't be helping you then." Jack said as he twiddled his thumbs.

Butch looked like he wanted to kill something. Spike couldn't see what the problem was.

"Butch, what's the problem? You live in a house full of millionaires! It's only fifty dollars."

"'Only fifty dollars? Only fifty dollars?!" Butch repeated incredulously, "My money is the result of my life's work! All the effort I put into acting out scenes for the Tom and Jerry cartoon is reflected in my money. It's a visual representation of the blood, sweat, and tears that I poured into my life's work! And now, you want me to lend fifty dollars to that worthless insect! NEVER!"

"But, what about Jerry? What about your brother?" Spike asked.

Butch opened his mouth but stopped when he couldn't think of anything to say.

He fumed, unsure of how to retaliate to this. He turned his gaze to Jack, who was twiddling his thumbs without a care.

Butch sighed.

"Alright, pal. You win. I'll give you your fifty dollars but NO more than that!" Butch said sternly.

"Fair enough," agreed the freckled turtle.

Making a furious expression, the black cat opened his wallet and slowly reached inside. With extreme care, Butch took out several dollar bills. Spike could've sworn that Butch looked as if he was about to kill his wallet.

After painfully counting the money to make sure it was fifty dollars, the cat passed them to the waiting turtle.

Jack counted the money to make sure that it was fifty dollars, and indeed it was.

"Yep. It's fifty dollars alright,” Jack said.

Butch glared.

"Alright, now keep your end of the deal! Help us find Tom and Jerry!"

"But of course. Follow me. I may have just the thing that will help you find them,” the turtle said.

Jack led Spike and Butch into the turtle's house.

..........

Tom and Jerry continued to walk. Not for the first time today, Jerry regretted going on this stupid road trip.

Then again, if he knew that all this was going to happen then he wouldn't have agreed to Tom’s 'quest'.

Maybe Butch was right for once about it being a terrible idea.

This could probably be documented as the 8th worst trip in his life.

At least the trees around this area were smaller so Jerry could actually see the moon and the stars. He had an easier time seeing the lion tracks by now. Still, if anyone had told him that he would be tracking a lion in the middle of a forest in the dead of night, he would've said that that person was crazy.

Well, his life was pretty crazy anyway.

Suddenly, Tom stopped in his tracks.

In front of him was a lion that was lying on his belly and he was sleeping.

"It's the lion that ate Tyke,” Jerry whispered.

"Looks like we found it and it's asleep. That's good. It'll make this job easier,” Tom said.

"Okay, we finished that part of the job. But how can we get it to release Tyke?"

Tom thought for a minute.

"Alright, here's the plan."

Tom began to whisper in Jerry's ear, and Jerry nodded his head as he listened to the plan.

"And that's how we'll get into the lion's stomach.”

"Sounds gross,” Jerry said.

"We've did grosser things. Now, are you clear on the plan?"

"Yeah, I'm clear on the plan. But why do we need to get into the stomach of a lion in the first place?" Tyke asked.

"So we can rescue you, Tyke,” Jerry said distractedly.

"But why do I need rescuing?" Tyke asked.  
"Because you're in… the lion's… stomach…" Jerry trailed off as he stared at Tyke with a shocked look on his face.

For a minute, Tom and Jerry just stared at Tyke as if they were looking at a ghost.

Then, Jerry pointed his finger at Tyke and spoke.

"YOU! I thought you were in that lion's digestive system!" Jerry yelled.

"Yeah, I was. But I got out,” Tyke said.

Jerry squinted.

"How?" he asked Tyke with a disbelieving stare.

Tyke stood up on his hind legs and puffed out his chest.

"Because I, Tyke Bulldog, have magical powers beyond that which any mortal human has ever seen!" he said.

Tom laughed.

"So, you have mystical powers, huh?"

"I said magical powers!" Tyke said.

"They're the same thing."

"NO THEY'RE NOT!" Tyke yelled.

Tom laughed, actually finding the pup's anger amusing.

"Trust me, they are" Tom said.

"And are you aware that we just woke up the lion with all of that screaming?" Jerry asked.

Tom, Jerry, and Tyke turned around to find the lion behind them. It was growling as it stared at them. The lion's silvery fangs shined in the darkness and made them nervous.

The trio quickly ran away.

........

"Alright guys! Welcome to my hall of gadgets!" Jack Nobody said as he led Butch and Spike into the large room.

"Wow,” Butch and Spike said simultaneously.

On the walls were several complex-looking machines and gadgets that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Butch looked up and down at the beeping and flashing machines.

"Where'd you get all this stuff?"

"I built them, of course. I happen to be a mega-genius with an IQ of 300 and these gadgets that you are looking at are some of my best inventions!" Jack said.

"This is unbelievable,” Spike said as he looked at a flashing device that was on the wall.

“I think I have the perfect device to help you find Tom and Jerry" Jack said, handing them a device.

"What is that?" Butch asked.

"I call it 'Jack Nobody's Organism Gauge For Anthropomorphic Individuals That Are Adrift In An Opaque Wilderness'. Or the 'JNOGFAITAAIAOW' for short." Jack said proudly.

Butch and Spike blinked.

"Okay, what does it do?" Butch asked.

"Exactly what its name suggests! It's a gauge that will detect adrift anthropomorphic individuals that are in the opaque wilderness."

"Meaning?"

Jack sighed.

"It's a device that locates people that are lost in the Dark Forest." he said, dumb-ing his phrase down a bit.

"Oh, why didn't you say that in the first place?"

"I did say… oh, never mind. The point is: this device should be able to locate your friends,” Jack said.

"Oh, well in that case, this doodad will totally come in handy. Thanks again,” Spike said as he and Butch headed for the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" Jack asked.

Butch and Spike stopped.

"Um, to find Tom and Jerry?" Butch said.

"Oh no, I'm coming with you. I'm not skipping out on this chance to meet my heroes in person. We'll find them together." Jack said.

"Um, I'd really rather not-"

"I said: we'll find them together.”

Butch sighed.

"Well, I suppose…"

"Yay! Let's go" Jack said as he dragged Butch and Spike outside.

In the forest, Butch, Spike, and Jack looked around as they tracked Tom and Jerry on Jack's device.

Butch turned to Jack.

"So, what's your relation to the Little People?"

"The Little People?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, they're the ones that suggested that we see you for help." Spike said.

"Do you know them?" Butch asked.

"Not really. I just helped them out one time. We're not really friends but we're not enemies either so… I guess I sort of know them.”

The device began to beep.

"We're getting closer." Jack said.

They came to a stop at a cave. They looked at each other before they turned back to the cave.

"Do you think they're in here?" Butch asked.

"According to the scanner, there's nobody in here. But, from the looks of it, somebody lives here. Or, at least they used to live here." Jack said.

They didn't realize that they were standing at the hideout of the Original Tom and Jerry.

Spike began to sniff the air.

"I can smell Tyke's scent. He was here. I can also smell Tom and Jerry." Spike said.

"So, they WERE here." Butch said.

After looking for more clues, they continued to track them down.

They kept walking.

Soon, Jack's device began to beep really loud.

"There are four organisms heading this way and they're moving fast!"

Soon, they heard a scream followed by a roar. Then, Tom, Jerry, and Tyke could be seen in the distance.

They didn't slow down. Instead, they ran right past them.

"They didn't even recognize us. Wow,” Butch said.

"What could they be running from?" Spike asked.

They heard a roar and when they turned around; they saw a lion heading for them.

"Run for your lives!" Butch yelled.

Butch, Spike, and Jack ran and caught up to Tom, Jerry, and Spike. The six of them simply ran as the lion chased them.

Soon, they made it to the cave and they jumped inside. The lion, who didn't see where they went, kept on moving straight ahead until he was out of sight.

The six of them were panting as they caught their breath.

And they were relieved to see each other. 

They would've hugged but Jerry would have been crushed, Tyke was too small to reach them, Spike probably would have crushed everyone's bodies, Tom refused to touch Butch, and Butch refused to touch anyone.

So, they just stood there awkwardly.

“That was the worst trip in my life,” Butch said eventually.

"But it was fun, right?" Tom said as they walked out of the cave.

"You dumb pile of filth. I ought to kill you for this."

"Yeah, but if you did that, then your life wouldn't be as interesting would it, sibling?" Tom taunted his brother.

"I hate you with every fiber of my being."

And so, the brothers bickered with one another as they got into another sibling squabble.

"Is this what they're always like?" Jack asked Spike.

"Yeah, pretty much,” Spike said as he carried Tyke in his hands.

Jerry noticed Jack.

"Who's this?"

Tom and Butch turned to Jack.

"He helped us find you guys,” Butch said.

"Yeah, um, I'm Jack Nobody. And… wow, I can't believe I'm talking to Tom and Jerry. Um, can I have your autographs?" Jack asked.

"Sure." Jerry said as he wrote his name.

Tom also wrote his name and he passed it to Jack.

"Come on, you lumps of trash. We're leaving. It's time to go home,” Butch rolled his eyes.

"But how will we get there? We have no car,” Jerry pointed out.

"I can help with that,” Jack said, tossing a cube on the ground. The cube began to expand and grow until it turned into a giant car big enough for the five of them.

"Um, okay. This will work," Jerry said.

They all got into the car. Butch got behind the wheel. Tom and Jerry were saying their goodbyes and Spike took Tyke into the car.

"Aw, we're leaving already? I want to do some more stuff!" Tyke said.

"Sorry, Tyke, but we have to go home. Besides, tomorrow's Monday and it's a school day for you and you're already up several hours past your bedtime,” Spike said.

"But… I'm not sleepy," Tyke said as his eyes drooped and he began to yawn.

Tom and Jerry got into the car and Butch began to drive. No one said anything during the long drive back to their mansion.

By the time they made it back, it was 2 in the morning. The Tom and Jerry Gang got out of their car and walked inside.

And so, their quest was at an end. So tired were our heroes that they fell asleep in the living room and were quickly lost in the world of sleep and dreams.

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly based off another fic titled Insanity on fanfiction.net


End file.
